Magma Explosions Feeding Lava Flows on West Mata Volcano

This is a sequence of explosive degassing events as bubbles of gas-rich magma burst, spewing lava fragments into the water. At same time, lava is being extruded out of the vent and down the slope. The area in view is about 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 meters) across in an eruptive area approximately the length of a football field that runs along the summit. Video courtesy of National Science Foundation (NSF), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).


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